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August 17； 1863。
JAMES H。 HACKETT； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Months ago I should have acknowledged the receipt of
your book and accompanying kind note； and I now have to beg your
pardon for not having done so。
For one of my age I have seen very little of the drama。 The first
presentation of Falstaff I ever saw was yours here； last winter or
spring。 Perhaps the best compliment I can pay is to say； as I truly
can； I am very anxious to see it again。 Some of Shakespeare's plays
I have never read； while others I have gone over perhaps as
frequently as any un…professional reader。 Among the latter are Lear；
Richard III。； Henry VIII。； Hamlet； and especially Macbeth。 I think
nothing equals Macbeth。 It is wonderful。
Unlike you gentlemen of the profession； I think the soliloquy in
Hamlet commencing 〃Oh； my offense is rank；〃 surpasses that commencing
〃To be or not to be。〃 But pardon this small attempt at criticism。 I
should like to hear you pronounce the opening speech of Richard III。
Will you not soon visit Washington again？ If you do； please call and
let me make your personal acquaintance。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN
TO F。 F。 LOWE。
WASHINGTON； D。 C。；
August 17； 1863。
HON。 P。 F。 LOWE； San Francisco； Cal。：
There seems to be considerable misunderstanding about the recent
movement to take possession of the 〃New Almaden〃 mine。 It has no
reference to any other mine or mines。
In regard to mines and miners generally； no change of policy by the
Government has been decided on； or even thought of； so far as I know。
The 〃New Almaden〃 mine was peculiar in this： that its occupants
claimed to be the legal owners of it on a Mexican grant； and went
into court on that claim。 The case found its way into the Supreme
Court of the United States； and last term； in and by that court； the
claim of the occupants was decided to be utterly fraudulent。
Thereupon it was considered the duty of the Government by the
Secretary of the Interior； the Attorney…General； and myself to take
possession of the premises； and the Attorney…General carefully made
out the writ and I signed it。 It was not obtained surreptitiously；
although I suppose General Halleck thought it had been； when he
telegraphed； simply because he thought possession was about being
taken by a military order； while he knew no such order had passed
through his hands as general…in…chief。
The writ was suspended； upon urgent representations from California；
simply to keep the peace。 It never had any direct or indirect
reference to any mine； place； or person； except the 〃New Almaden〃
mine and the persons connected with it。
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL MEADE。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON； August 21； 1863。
MAJOR…GENERAL MEADE； Warrenton； Va。：
At this late moment I am appealed to in behalf of William Thompson of
Company K； Third Maryland Volunteers； in Twelfth Army Corps； said to
be at Kelly's Ford； under sentence to be shot to…day as a deserter。
He is represented to me to be very young； with symptoms of insanity。
Please postpone the execution till further order。
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO GENERAL SCHOFIELD。
WASHINGTON； D。 C。； August 22； 1863。
GENERAL SCHOFIELD； Saint Louis； Mo。：
Please send me if you can a transcript of the record in the case of
McQuin and Bell； convicted of murder by a military commission。 I
telegraphed General Strong for it； but he does not answer。
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO MRS。 GRIMSLEY。
WAR DEPARTMENT； WASHINGTON； D。 C。； August 24； 1863。
MRS。 ELIZABETH J。 GRIMSLEY； Springfield； Ill。：
I mail the papers to you to…day appointing Johnny to the Naval
school。
A。 LINCOLN
TO CRITICS OF EMANCIPATION
To J。 C。 CONKLING。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON；
August 26； 1863。
HON。 JAMES C。 CONKLING。
MY DEAR SIR：Your letter inviting me to attend a mass meeting of
unconditional Union men； to be held at the capital of Illinois； on
the 3d day of September； has been received。 It would be very
agreeable for me thus to meet my old friends at my own home； but I
cannot just now be absent from here so long as a visit there would
require。
The meeting is to be of all those who maintain unconditional devotion
to the Union； and I am sure that my old political friends will thank
me for tendering； as I do； the nation's gratitude to those other
noble men whom no partisan malice or partisan hope can make false to
the nation's life。
There are those who are dissatisfied with me。 To such I would say：
You desire peace； and you blame me that we do not have it。 But how
can we obtain it？ There are but three conceivable ways：
Firstto suppress the rebellion by force of arms。 This I am trying
to do。 Are you for it？ If you are； so far we are agreed。 If you
are not for it； a second way is to give up the Union。 I am against
this。 Are you for it？ If you are you should say so plainly。 If you
are not for force nor yet for dissolution； there only remains some
imaginable compromise。
I do not believe that any compromise embracing the maintenance of the
Union is now possible。 All that I learn leads to a directly opposite
belief。 The strength of the rebellion is its military； its army。
That army dominates all the country and all the people within its
range。 Any offer of terms made by any man or men within that range；
in opposition to that army； is simply nothing for the present；
because such man or men have no power whatever to enforce their side
of a compromise； if one were made with them。
To illustrate： Suppose refugees from the South and peace men of the
North get together in convention； and frame and proclaim a compromise
embracing a restoration of the Union。 In what way can that
compromise be used to keep Lee's army out of Pennsylvania？ Meade's
army can keep Lee's army out of Pennsylvania； and； I think； can
ultimately drive it out of existence。 But no paper compromise to
which the controllers of Lee's army are not agreed can at all affect
that army。 In an effort at such compromise we would waste time；
which the enemy would improve to our disadvantage； and that would be
all。
A compromise； to be effective； must be made either with those who
control the rebel army； or with the people； first liberated from the
domination of that army by the success of our own army。 Now allow me
to assure you that no word or intimation from that rebel army； or
from any of the men controlling it； in relation to any peace
compromise； has ever come to my knowledge or belief。 All charges and
insinuations to the contrary are deceptive and groundless。 And I
promise you that if any such proposition shall hereafter come； it
shall not be rejected and kept a secret from you。 I freely
acknowledge myself to be the servant of the people； according to the
bond of service； the United S